Peterside: We need skilled manpower to grow maritime sector

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has again reiterated the need for skilled manpower to spearhead the development of the Nigerian maritime industry.
The DG said this when he led a delegation to a meeting with the United States Commercial Service, West Gulf Maritime Association and the Texas Southern University, Houston at the University’s campus recently.
Peterside, who highlighted the potential of the Nigerian market including the vastness of its coastline and huge population, called for greater collaboration with Nigeria’s international partners to grow skilled indigenous manpower for the development of the Nigerian maritime industry which according to him is capable of taking over from oil as the country’s highest revenue earner.
He said the Agency will need the expertise of the Texas Southern University in shore based technical training of maritime sector personnel to improve on its capacity to regulate maritime activities in Nigeria and stimulate the necessary growth the sector requires.
While calling on members of the West Gulf Maritime Association to take advantage of the potentials in the Nigeria maritime industry to invest in the sector, the DG assured them of the Agency’s commitment to effectively end the scourge of piracy in Nigerian waters as well as regulate the sector for the economic prosperity of all stakeholders.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Commercial Counsellor in the US Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Ryan assured the Director General of the cooperation of the Embassy saying the Embassy will forge closer commercial ties with the Agency to grow the maritime sector in Nigeria.
Officials of the university who took turns to brief the delegation offered technical cooperation in the areas of capacity building, ICT based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) as well as provide assistance with the development of Electronic Cargo Tracking Systems (ECTS) to reduce revenue leakages to the government.